Will the online poker boom last?

Hello, welcome to the original audio documentary series by ESPN Films and ESPN audio, 30 for 30 podcasts. I am Jody Abil Gun.

This time is episode 2 of the fourth season. A story about the most prestigious tournament in poker, the 10, 000 dolla r-byin World Series of Poker Main Event.

This summer, about 8, 000 people fought with a winning prize of $ 8. 8 million. But that's not the case for a long time. Thirty years after the World Series began in 1970, it was a small tournament at most hundreds. Later, the 2003 World Series of Poker was held, and suddenly poker was attracting attention.

30 for 30 producer Keith Romer will deliver a story that has changed poker forever.

This episode is for players, probably not surprising, but contains mature expressions.

Sparking the poker boom

KEITH ROMER: Other ... What do you start?

Matt Maranz: You guys. Well, let's start from the end.

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: This may be the last card of 2003 World Series of Poker.

Matt Marantz: You have all the characters and stories you want to chase, and you're thinking about the best way to interweave and put them out.

[2003 World Series of Poker

Representative: One more to the New World Champion. ]

Matt Maranz: One thing you know. That is, you have to be 100 % in the program.

[2003 World Series of Poker

Dealer: 5 sheets.

File fan voice]

Matt Marantz: My name is Matt Marantz, 441 Productions Executive Producer. In 2003, we made the World Series of Poker.

Keith Romer: Matt Marantz knew about talking about the story on television. He had a master's degree of journalism.

[Quiet story: Sports Bahind the Birds ”(1999),

OTL Narrater: All of the cruel harsh in the wall.

Matt Marantz: I took a prison documentary. I have taken a documentary for organized crime.

[Excluding lines): Gang and Sports "(1997)

OTL interview: I don't care about dying on the street, but I didn't want to live in prison for a lifetime. ]

Matt Marantz: I have covered Nicaragua's civil war and the first Gulf War.

Matt Marantz: I think the desire to talk about the story is really curious. The world is wide.

Keith Romer: One day Marantz picked up a book about professional poker players. And he got curious. He went to ESPN and said, "This is the next show."

Matt Marantz: "We need to do something with the World Series of Poker. The players are exciting."

KEITH ROMER: But the executives at ESPN didn't believe it.

Matt Maranz: ESPN always said, "Who's going to watch a poker show?"

Keith Romer: It wasn't a new idea at ESPN.

Matt Maranz: Poker had been on TV for a long time, and it was always the same.

[World Series of Poker, 1987,

Announcer: We bring you the World Series of Poker action. There are now five players left at the final table.]

Keith Romer: Newspaper columnist Norman Chad was a player. But he didn't like the old show.

Norman Chad: Most of what I was watching was...

[World Series of Poker, 1987,

Announcer: It's time for the flop.]

Norman Chad: It's all about watching the dry flush.

[World Series of Poker, 1987,

Announcer: Jim Check. Bob Chiafone arrives.]

Norman Chad: If you're a casual viewer, it's hard to watch.

Matt Maranz: Nine kids sitting around a table looking at each other.

[World Series of Poker, 1987,

Announcer Jim Spain decides not to block and folds.

Matt Maranz: And I don't know why, why, what happened. And the show is over.

Keith Romer: It's not like the people playing on TV were Wheaties box material.

Norman Chad: There's still a stigma for some people about going into a card room and playing poker.

Matt Maranz: It's been looked into.

Norman Chad: It was like a back room with guys smoking cigars.

Matt Maranz: A lot of the poker players are there because it's their job.

Keith Romer: But ESPN still had to put something on.

Norman Chad: By July or August, there was only baseball, and there wasn't baseball every night, so there were holes in the programming.

Keith Romer: And poker was cheap.

Norman Chad: They'd literally pay billions of dollars to the NFL, NBA, MLB, and they wouldn't pay half a million dollars to poker. Like million dollars. It was pretty much free.

Keith Romer: ESPN eventually contracted a seven episode program. Not only the final table of the main event, but also throughout the fiv e-day tournament. For Marantz, it was great. Except for a small thing.

Matt Maranz: I want you to understand that I didn't know anything about poker. We were not suitable for the World Series of Poker production. In other words, we were stupid.

Keith Romer: Still, Marantz did a show. In other words, it was a research time.

Matt Marrats: So I decided to go to Vegas for a month.

[1983 World Poker Series

In a dazzling place called Glitter Gulch in downtown Las Vegas, where Vinions Horse Shoe Hotel & Casino is located. ]

Matt Maranz: I first joined Binion's, but no one knows. All you know is that there is a sign that the World Series of Poker is being held in this room.

[1983 World Poker Series

While the World Series is being held, expensive pokers are being held 24 hours a day. ]

Matt Maranz: It's a bit illegal, a little dangerous, and a bit vulgar. It smells of urine from the toilet. The really good thing is one of the places where nothing happens.

Nolan Dalla was the director of the casino at the time, but he thought that the place was a bit sloppy.

Nolan Dalla: The poor and creepy millionaires were all on their shoulders 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

I was to a pawn shop.

Nolan Darlor: He wore a flashy plaid jacket, always shaved hal f-beared, put on a connection glasses, and wore white shoes. The name is not a story. His real name is Sam Angel. A pawn shop. Gamblers put jewelry and watches in quality. What happens in the casino, this place was like a messy circus!

My impression at Matt Maranz: Binion's is that if you overcome the smell, sounds and such things, this is a perfect environment to perform a show for those who live in poker.

Doyle Brunson: I'm Doyle Brunson. He is 84 years old and has been a professional poker player since he was 22.

Johnny Chang: My name won Johnny Chang, won in 1987 and 1988, and won runne r-up in the 1989 World Series of Poker.

Phil Hermas: Fil Hermas, 14th poker world champion.

Matt Marantz: Someone who wants to talk has gathered in the ballroom on the second floor of this aging hotel.

KEITH ROMER: The tournament gathered the world's greatest poker players.

Matt Maranz: But there were ordinary people who participated in the World Series of Poker.

KEITH ROMER: Chris Money Maker 2 7-yea r-old players were one of them. CHRIS woke up to gambling in the 90s, when he was a student at the University of Tennessee.

Chris Money Maker: When I was a freshman, I didn't do much gambling. When I was in my second grade, it was gone. I knew I could drink when I wanted, and I knew that I could play sports.

Keith Romer: At first, Chris could not lose. It was so good that my father began to bet together.

Chris Money Maker: After all, I sent some money to a sportsbook account. It worked very well. I think I earned about $ 60, 000 that year.

Keith Romer: The situation has gone worse. One Saturday, Chris went to a social club party for a few hours by car with his friends. He made a bet on the bookmaker on the go.

[September 17, 1994, Iwa vs Pennsylvania State University,

Announcer This will play against Pennsylvanian State State University Nittany Lions, Big 10 rivals, Iowa. Hawkeys is also 2 wins and 0 losses. ]

Keith Romer: First half, teaser, parley. That day is definitely a thousand dollars. Then Chris was very drunk.

Chris Money Maker: After all, I fell asleep with a girlfriend girl on a golf course.

Keith Romer: From all the bets he did, bad again.

[September 17, 1994, Iwa vs Pennsylvania State University,

Announcer: Again, the final score of the Beaver Stadium is 61, Pennsylvania, and 21 Iowa. ]

Keith Romer: All the $ 60, 000 accounts that he and his father had was gone.

Chris Money Maker: Yes, that day was a very bad day. After arriving at Knoxville, my father finally called me. He hung up and didn't talk for about two days, but for me my father was very important.

Keith Romer: Chris finally settled with his father. He got his degree and moved to Nashville in 2001, working for accounting. But life as an adult was not easy.

Chris Moneymaker: I was drinking a lot at the time. I was married, but I wasn't happy.

Keith Romer: I was bankrupt.

Chris Moneymaker: I was probably $15, 000 or $20, 000 in debt, not including mortgages and stuff. That's like half my salary that year.

Matt Damon/Mike McDermott: Look, if you can't tell a guy off in the first 30 minutes, you're a sucker. ］

Keith Romer: That's when Chris invented the Cinematic Round.

John Turturro/Joy Knish: You're not you. I'm going to coil up and go to Vegas.

Matt Damon/Mike McDermott: I'm going to win the game. ］

Keith Romer: It was like someone made a movie for Chris.

Chris Moneymaker: I've probably seen it 20 times.

John Malkovich/Teddy KGB: I'm hanging out. That kid has crocodile blood in his veins. LOL).

Keith Romer: That movie portrayed a fantasy that was very appealing to someone like Chris: that if you made the right bet at the right time, you could escape your boring, mundane life.

Matt Damon/Mike McDermott: I played against the best player in the world and won.

John Turturro/Joey Knish: Fuck move Chan, you bastards.

Keith Romer: Chris fell in love with poker. And he wasn't the only one. In the early 2000s, hundreds of thousands of poker beginners around the world were hooked on late-night games not in smoke-filled back rooms but on the few new online poker sites. When he traveled for his new accounting job, Chris would stay up all night in his hotel room, staring at his laptop, playing poker on a site called PokerStars.

Chris Moneymaker: It was really easy. People weren't that nice. I only put in a few hundred dollars, but I was able to play and build my bankroll. I remember at one point we had $2, 200 in the account.

Keith Romer: One day Chris put $86 down on the Lark to enter a nine-man tournament. He won and qualified for his second big tournament.

Chris Moneymaker: We gave away three seats to the WSOP Main Event.

Keith Romer: When we combined the players' buy-ins, we had enough to pay three $10, 000 entry fees into the World Series Main Event and a fourth $8, 000 prize. For Chris, the idea was simple.

Cris Moneymaker: I was aiming for 4th place.

Keith Romer: $ 8, 000, he will carry half of his debt. However, Chris was so successful that when he became the last few players, he was convinced that he would be able to lose enough to be convinced that he would not be in the top three. I couldn't have it.

He told another player in a small chat window that he was trying to lose.

Chris Money Maker: I said, everyone listen. I remembered the fourth person and remembered that his name was "Got Milk", but he said: "No, the fourth person is good! I don't need a seat." 。

KEITH ROMER: Chris's poker friend, who was following Chris online, called Chris and tried to stop it. Chris seemed to have missed all the points of Rounders.

Matt Damon/Mike McDermott: Do not lose anything that does not get in the way. lol).

Eventually, Chris won the World Series. But to guarantee something, he persuaded his father and another friend to invest $ 2, 000 each. If he wins, they can win. If you lose, at least $ 4, 000 will remain at hand.

Chris was not the only one who qualified from the Internet.

Nolan Dalla: So, when I got inside, I think there were 30 people, 39, but 39 children were standing in the middle of the second floor.

KEITH ROMER: Nolan Dala, a vinyl public relations director, was responsible for welcoming new players in the World Series.

Nolan Dara: Many of them wore black shirts and everyone looked young. One poker player was an old man and was usually a white old man from the southern part. He was wearing a cowboy hat and wearing a windbreaker.

Like KEITH ROMER: CHRIS Moneymaker, all of them, 37 people in black shirts, have won the bay in Pokerstars. The existence of these new players was wonderful for professionals like PHIL HELLMUTH.

PHIL HELLMUTH: No, the 2003 Internet Poker Player was very easy to read and wonderful.

Keith Romer: Johnny Chan felt almost the same.

Keith Romer: If you hear that someone is an Internet gambler, what does it mean to you?

Johnny Chang: Damn!

Keith Romer: Among the new Internet players and Old School Poker Players, 839 people signed the 2003 main event, which was a new record. All of these $ 10. 000 entry files have been added, and it has been a new record. The winner has $ 2. 5 million.

Chris Money Maker: I remember sitting with my head between my crotch, breathing rough and very nervous. These people are all professionals, I'm wearing poker stars shirts and basically amateurs.

Keith Romer: Did you think there is a chance?

Cris Moneymaker: Zero.

PHIL HELLMUTH: Ordinary people at home would think: "Oh, the championship is on e-8/8309." It's completely different. Especially in 2003, there were many bad players. Of the 839 players, 400 people can't win.

Johnny Chan: I think at least 350 people are dead money. In other words, 3. 5 million. Dead money. Are there any other bets in the pool with 3. 5 million dead money? It's just the World Series of Poker.

KEITH ROMER: Matt Marantz hired a complete production team to record the story of 89 players a year in the World Series.

Producer, photographer, grip, production assistant.

Keith Romar: Color commentator, newspaper columnist Norman Chad.

Norman Chad: I don't know if the color commentator can be seen in color, but I was hired for that.

Keith Romer: Marantz hired Chad because I thought it was interesting, but I was thinking about what the poker should be on TV.

Norman Chad: There were two biggest problems in the old program, simple. I didn't know what the card was, and I didn't know who the player was.

Keith Romer: Matt Marantz intends to find a solution to these two issues. The first was a technical solution.

Matt Marantz: We used a lipstick camera. It was a small camera like a lip stick holder, just sewing it on a poker table cushion.

Keith Romar: With this small camera, I was able to show the player's card to the audience at home.

Matt Marantz: Vinions were worried. I wonder if the secret leaks.

Keith Romer: After many days, Marantz finally persuaded the vinion and allowed the camera.

Matt Marantz: And there was a guard with a gun in front of them. scared. But it was amazing.

Keith Romer: Marantz was also thinking about how to attract viewers for the players.

Matt Marantz: You must show the reason why viewers should look and why they should be interested in individual players.

Keith Romer: At least a part of Marantz's solution.

Norman Chad: The easiest is to start with a big name that resonates with the casual people's hearts.

[1988 World Series of Poker

Announcer: Johnny Chan, a gentleman! ].

Matt Maranz: Johnny Chan is the most famous poker player on the earth, not only because he is a great player who won the world championship, but also in roundrobin.

Norman Ched: It's been a year since he has come to the roundrobin. But in this minute, he became a bigger person than his life.

Matt Marantz: Matt Damon is in Atlantic City.

Matt Damon / Mike McCdder Mot: About 8-9 months ago, I was in Taj, but late at night, I saw Johnny Chang coming in. When Johnny Chan came in, the whole venue stopped. lol).

Keith Romer: Rounders defined Poker's dreams not just win. Not only wins, but also to the best opponent. Matt Damon's character goes to Johnny Chang.

Matt Damon / Mike McCdder Mot: I decided. I'll get over him. lol).

Keith Romer: Because it's a movie. It works.

Matt Damon / Mike McDader Mot: I won with the best people in the world. ]

Keith Romer: Matt Marantz wanted such a drama and such a star. He will work like a movie rather than a sporting event.

Matt Marantz: Take the whole event live.

Keith Romer: But he doesn't intend to broadcast it live.

Norman Chad: Matt showed me around Binion's and one of the first things I asked him was, "What's an AH?" And he lifted his head and looked at me like I was from Mars. I'd never used the term vantage point in my life. Am I an Ivy Leaguer? So I said, "Where are you broadcasting from?" And he looked at me funny again and said, "We don't broadcast from here." I was like, "What?! - No, that's for later."

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: Hello everyone, and welcome to Binion's Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.]

KEITH ROMER: As the tournament began, TV crews swarmed the casino area to film the action.

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: The first day of this grueling five-day event revealed a record 839 participants.

Keith Romer: Maranz told his team not to try to film everything, to focus on the top players.

[2003 World Series of Poker

Ron McQueen: And we're very lucky to have two of the biggest names in the game at the table today: two-time champion Doyle Brunson and defending champion Robert Varcony.

KEITH ROMER: Marantz gives cameramen the 40 most important He taught me about 100 players.

Matt Maranz: I was like an elementary school kid. Here's the book. I was very proud of it.

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: Two-time world champion Doyle Brunson was eliminated on the first day.]

Matt Maranz: About an hour into the tournament, about 20 players were knocked out. Everyone looked at each other and said, what are you doing? All of your pictures are gone.

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: That's it.

Robert Varkonyi: Okay, that's it. Good luck, everyone!

Robert Varkonyi was eliminated.]

Matt Marants: We had a very detailed plan. But we realized within hours that our detailed plan was fundamentally flawed.

Keith Romer: Marants and his team had to fight.

Matt Marants: The big fear in making a TV show is not having video. If you don't have footage, it doesn't exist.

Keith Romer: But it was nearly impossible to predict which of the hundreds of Maranz players would need video.

[2003 World Series of Poker

Lon McEachern: Welcome to the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. You see the chip leader, Barry Greenstein... you think he's in the driver's seat. About 25, 000 Barry was an investor from Houston named Sam Farha].

Keith Romer: That name, Barry Greenstein, was in the picture book. But figuring out who Farha was wasn't all that easy.

Matt Maranz: Sam Farha was a bit of a mystery. When we interviewed players, we would always ask him, "Really?" I remember Sam didn't want to talk about it. He was a businessman, so we just left it at that.

Norman Chad: He never told people he was a player. He was an investor or a professional businessman. He played for a living, and he made the big plays.

Keith Romer: To Matt Savage, the tournament director, Farha was a celebrity.

Matt Savage: He wasn't known as the best player, but he was known as the best action player. He had no fear.

Norman Chad: Sammy Farha said something good: "I have to win this match to break even this month. And he's not kidding.

Keith Romer: Farha looked great on camera.

Norman Chad: Apparently Sammy Farha came out of the womb with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, his hair long, looking like Humphrey Bogart in the 1945 movie.

Keith Romer: But Maranz had to find a way to introduce Farha to the people watching in the house that would surpass "the investor from Houston."

[2003 World Series of Poker

Sam Farha: Sam Farha. I'm very superstitious. If I win, I'll keep doing the same thing. Same moves. Same thing].

Matt Maranz: I think the key to creating a character in any TV show is figuring out how to make the audience like them.

[2003 World Series of Poker

Sam Farha: I don't smoke, I have the same cigarettes. If I lose a pot, I change my cigarette. I throw it out, I put another one in. I'm very superstitious]

Matt Maranz: Tell me one thing. The next day, the audience will say, "Oh yeah! That guy did that."

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON McEACHERN: A lucky cigarette that doesn't light in your mouth. Of course... you can't smoke here in Binion's poker room].

KEITH ROMER: The first day of the five-day tournament ended just after midnight.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[Announcer: Players, here are your bags. Please put your chips in your bags.]

Binion's PR director Nolan Dalla headed into his office to compile a list of players remaining in the tournament.

NOLAN DALLA: How many chips, where they're from, and we arrived at this name.

NOLAN DALLA: I'm like, "What is Chris Moneymaker?" You need to understand what poker players do. Some poker players have nicknames, and no one knows Doyle Brunson, but his name is "Texas Dolly" or Bobby "The Owl" Baldwin. So I thought, maybe there's a poker player named Chris Smith and maybe Moneymaker is his nickname. Chris Moneymaker Smith, Chris Moneymaker Jones, get it? Of course there's four 15s and then there's 35s and then there's the other cards. I got mad at the guy and I said, "This idiot's not even going to fill them in properly."

Eventually, Dara managed to find his list and went to bed. The day started and he went looking for the mystery man.

Chris, a University of Tennessee graduate who loves football and beer, didn't take me seriously when he showed up at Binion's Horseshoe. He was just an amateur poker player who would be good to have a beer with.

Baseball cap. Big belly. Sunglasses. Goat.

Nolan Dollar: So I walked up and I said, "Excuse me, can I have your real name?"

Chris Moneymaker: That's what I've been involved with my whole life. People don't believe my name. That's why I'm here!

NOLAN DARA: So I pulled out my wallet.

Here's my ID. Yeah, here's me.

Tennessee driver's license. Name is Christopher Brian Moneymaker. NOLAN DARA: And I said, "Sorry, I don't believe that's your real name." And he laughed, of course. He was a very nice guy. He couldn't have been nicer.

KEITH ROMER: On the first day, Chris Moneymaker from Tennessee wrecked the table. He turned a 10, 000 chip stack into over 60, 000 chips.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: And then I got 4th or 5th place. So I'm obviously ecstatic.

NORMAN CHAD: There were 839 players. 60 of the 839 were paid.

Chris' number one priority was to finish at least 63rd and win at least $15, 000.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: So if I go to the World Series Main Event and crash and can't pay off my credit card debt, it's all for naught.

NORMAN CHAD: If you've never played the World Series of Poker, you definitely want to win money. Your mentality is generally very conservative.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: So I wasn't kidding when I said I was probably 8309 out of 8309 in this tournament.

KEITH ROMER: Chris' strategy was very simple.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: Sit down all day, fold, and go to day three. That was my plan.

KEITH ROMER: But Chris had two problems with his plan. The first problem was that on day two, just like on day one, Chris kept dealing cards that were too good to fold.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: At this point, we're at 180, 000 to 190, 000, maybe even over 200, 000.

NORMAN CHAD: Players who get knocked out move around to make sure there are an equal number of players at each table.

KEITH ROMER: Chris' second problem was that players kept moving around to his table.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: Johnny Chan sat down towards the end of the second day. People started moving behind our table to watch Johnny play. The whole table dynamics changed. He took over the table right away.

Johnny Chan: I was so confident. Every table I sat at. I was so comfortable, I didn't care.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: Johnny Chan, it looked like he was picking me on purpose.

Johnny Chan: Dammit!

Johnny Chang: Damn!

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Maranz: Chris Moneymaker is just a prop for Johnny Chan to knock him out of the tournament.

Chris Moneymaker: We've probably played three or four pots together.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Lon McEachern: Johnny Chan goes all in.

Johnny Chan: 29 wins, 4 losses. ］

Chris Moneymaker: And he won the whole thing.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: And Chan and Moneymaker basically played like that until the players went on break.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: But two players don't fold. Johnny Chan and Chris Moneymaker.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Moneymaker: That's for sure.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Moneymaker: All in.

Chris Moneymaker is throwing down the gauntlet to Johnny Chan.

Norman Chad: All Johnny has right now is a draw. I'd be surprised if he goes any further.

Johnny Chan: Okay. You did it.

Lon McEachern: Johnny, you're in. ］

Chris Moneymaker: Honestly, I would have bet a lot of money before the hand was turned over.

Keith Romer: But Chris ended up being the big favorite. If the next card hadn't been a 2, Johnny Chan would have been out of the tournament.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Norman Chad: In my mind, I was like, "What the heck?" Chris Moneymaker took his sunglasses off and looked at Johnny. He was shocked to see what Johnny had, and Johnny had a lot of money.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

NORMAN CHAD: Wow. It's like Buster Douglas punching Mike Tyson.

It's like Buster Douglas punching Mike Tyson.

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: Yeah! I can dream about Rounders.

MATT DAMON/MIKE MCDERMOTT: I sat with the best in the world. And I won.

JOHN TOURTOURO/JOY KNIS: You got me, bitch.

John Turturro/Joey Knish: Fuck move Chan, you bastards.

KEITH ROMER: Matt Marantz felt pretty much the same way. He created a show for people like Chris Moneymaker, the official poker pros who learned everything from Rounders, not for them.

MATT MARANZ: From a storytelling standpoint, I'm a little disappointed that we lost the main character. If this was a dramatic show, the main character was killed off.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

NORMAN CHAD: Poker is a game. Anyone can win.

DOYLE BRUNSON: That's the great thing about tournaments. People can win tournaments and survive.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: Some of the decisions I've made and projects I've taken on have probably been pretty bad. I just didn't know any better.

DOYLE BRUNSON: To be honest, they were pretty bad. He was a real amateur.

KEITH ROMER: But in poker, skill level doesn't always equate to results. At the end of the four-day marathon poker, Chris Moneymaker and Sam Farha were still alive and about to make it to the final table of the tournament.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: We were totally exhausted. My goal was to not make any moves. Just sit here and do nothing.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

CHRIS MONEYMAKER: Everyone wants to get to the final table, so everyone is playing just like me. We're all pretty close.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Cris Moneymaker: It's probably Philayvy that doesn't play too tight.

KEITH ROMER: PHIL IVEY.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: He was still 26 years old, but most professionals already thought he was one of the most dangerous players in this game.

Matt Maranz: Phil Ivy at the time was a young player in the world.

Keith Romer: Ivey occupied the table with the remaining 10 people.

Chris Moneymaker: He was spraying more than anyone.

Keith Romer: Chris did not get in the way. But around 4 o'clock in the morning, he found a hand that was unlikely to break.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

NORMAN CHAD: CHRIS Moneymaker monster. ]

Keith Romer: Chris is a short bed. A trap in Ivy.

[2003 World Poker Series,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Norman Chad: There was no big name. The only big name is Phil Ivy, and he's the best player.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Phil Ivy had a full house and best hand.

LON MCEACHERN: But nobody knows it except Phil Ivy and us.

Norman Chad: And there's no reason Moneymaker assumes that Ivey had a pocket nine. So he will get 200, 000. It's no wonder he doesn't think he has a hand that can beat himself. He must now think that Three Queen is the best].

Matt Maranz: I remember thinking this was an important moment without knowing poker.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Moneymaker is throwing down the gauntlet to Johnny Chan.

Called immediately

The pot has reached 1 million.

PHIL IVEY is 9's full.

Norman Chad: Yeah. The money maker is tired. He couldn't hit two nine in the PHIL IVEY hall, and he couldn't win without an ace or queen or 6 on the river. ]

KEITH ROMER: CHRIS Moneymaker's win rate was on e-sixth. PHIL IVEY wins 5 times out of six times. He goes to the final table with a mountai n-like chip.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: Oh, ace! Ace

Norman Chad: Perhaps the best player remaining in the tournament, an incredible knockout blow.

LON MCEACHERN: Amazing. Phil Ivy lost to Chris Money Maker Full House in Full House.

Norman Chad: I've defeated Johnny Chan, HumberTo Brenes, and PHIL IVEY. God.

LON MCEACHERN: Who is this youth? ]

Norman Chad: He was like a lightning for me and beat me. I can't really believe that hand was seen live.

Keith Romer: It may be incredible, but River ace has zero the final table star player for Norman Chad and other production teams.

Norman Chad: How much I hurt me ...! No more. "

KEITH ROMER: 2003 World Series of Poker ended with seven episodes broadcasted on ESPN, not five days at Las Vegas downtown casinos. At least partly, it was a story formed by people who had never played poker in the tournament. Matt Marantz and his team produced a television program a few months after the tournament.

Matt Maranz: There were more than 1000 hours, so you have to go back to New York and think about how to convey seven one hour story.

While watching the movie, they realized that many of the choices they did were doing well.

Matt Marantz: We edited directly from the first day.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Maranz: And everyone has the same interesting reaction.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Marantz: This is really exciting.

Norman Chad: How to shoot and edit.

KEITH ROMER: There were two cameras that Matt Marantz rely on.

Matt Marantz: There was a folding that the players looked and looked down on each other over their shoulders.

Keith Romer: There was also a clos e-up.

What is the right answer, you can see the players are about to die in their hearts.

Keith Romer: Then there was a way to use Marantz hall cameras.

Norman Chad: He thought it was very important to show looks. Literally, the player is looking at his hall card.

MATT MARAINS (Marantz): Up a look at the card, Burn! Great, I have an ace!

Norman Chad: And he did it every time.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

MATT MARANZ: The hall camera has created an almighty viewer.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Maranz: You knew that this person would lose. Everyone in the world knew that this person would lose.

[2003 World Poker Series,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Ron McConnie: Robert Valcony]

MATT MARANZ: Then, this match will be suffering. We were approaching like a drama you watch on a normal TV.

Norman Chad: Create a conflict early and solve it. And a good man defeats the bad guy. That is sports.

About two months after the World Series, the first episode was broadcast on ESPN.

Matt Maranz: The first episode was broadcast, and I heard that the audience rating was excellent the next day or the next day. It wasn't a tone that said, "Congratulations, the audience rating was great." Rather, it seemed incredible that "Hey, the audience rating was amazing."

Norman Chad: I can't believe it. It was just a shock. I was excited, but it was a shock to take off in that way.

Doyle Branson: I didn't think there was an audience. But that was a mistake, and the United States was absorbed in poker.

Keith Romer: Just as the first episode gained popularity, it was necessary to close the curtain in the season finale in order for the broadcast to be considered a true success. Over two weeks, it will be revealed which characters will win the final table and become the New World Champion in Episode 6 and Episode 7.

Americans watching at home were greeted with a montage of dazzling Las Vegas casino signs and the familiar voice of host Ron McEachern.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: The footage cut to a shot of the Dinghy Binion ballroom.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Norman Chad: There was an episode of Seinfeld where there was a cockfight, and Jerry was fighting, and he was in some freaking underground warehouse. Watching the final table reminds me of that. There's a boxing ring with nine players and there's only a couple hundred people around it.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: Seven of the nine players gathered at this bright poker table were veteran pros, including a former champion.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: A tournament expert born in Iran.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Norman Chad: Yes, a tournament veteran with many titles.]

KEITH ROMER: And a "Houston investor" without a cigarette in the corner of his mouth.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: Then there was the unlikely chip leader.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Norman Chad: Yes, amateurs. Hard to read. Plus, amateurs have less pressure than pros. ］

KEITH ROMER: The camera spotted Chris's father in the crowd.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Lon McEachern: His dad's keeping him at home.

Bernie Moneymaker: Good boy. lol)

Keith Romer: But unrelated viewers weren't so impressed with Chris' chances. Binion PR Director Nolan Dara.

NOLAN DALLA: The money maker wasn't for two seconds in the final table final 9.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

NORMAN CHAD: Ah. And he keeps sleeping with the angel].

Nolan Dara: This is a scaled game. This is a game that does not take prisoners.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Norman Chad: He flew the top straight. God.

LON MCEACHERN: 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen. lol]

Nolan Dara: When doing such an event, don't waste time. You are looking for a star, and even at this late stage, many of us thought it was one of the extras. Tennessee's accountant appears out of nowhere and opens his path through satellites. Let's recover to 7th place. Well, that's a good story. Yes, it is the 6th paragraph. Well, sir. Congratulations on the money maker, but it's a good story

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Bernie Money Maker: I knew he could play, but he didn't know he could play so far.

LON MCEACHERN: I'm curious how much he wound from his dad. ]

Keith Romer: They brought money when only two players were left.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: On TV, they saw a guard sandwiched by three shot guns carrying a brick box filled with cash in the crowd.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: And he doesn't actually have millions of dollars in a box.

Matt Savage: Many don't know that it's not the real money. The appearance is hundreds of dollars and the contents are dollars.

Keith Romer: After the cash was piled up in the table, the camera focused on the remaining two.

On one side of the long green table, Sam Farha spreads a white shirt to the chest on a black suit jacket. Opposite, CHRIS Moneymaker wore a Pokerstars hat and a polo shirt and hid his eyes with mirror sunglasses.

NOLAN DALLA: And the two were more opposite. It's like day and night.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: Immediately before the match, he repeated conversations between the money maker and Ferha that had no opportunity for home viewers to see. The money maker offered a transaction to Falha.

Chris Money Maker: I said: You just want to cut it out and play. "

KEITH ROMER: The difference between 2. 5 million winning prizes and 1. 3 million runne r-up prize money is divided. You can play for the World Series Champion title.

Chris Money Maker: Then he said: "No, honestly, you were playing a really good play. I'm an experienced player. I'm an experienced player. When I was, I came to my head.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Savage: I remember. Sammy smiled, saying that this child wouldn't hit me. There is no chance.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Money Maker: In my plan, I was going to beat him with a bulldozer. I wanted to beat him.

Keith Romer: After dozens of hands, CHRIS was chasing to the last card.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: And he lost everything.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Keith Romer: But in his worthwhile King, Chris decided to live longer than this man. This hand

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Moneymaker is throwing down the gauntlet to Johnny Chan.

LON MCEACHERN: Chris Money Maker, al l-in without anything. ]

Chris Money Maker: To be honest, I felt like someone was hijacked. I don't know. I still can't explain what happened.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Sam Farha: Did you miss the flash?

LON MCEACHERN: That's exactly what Sam says.

Norman Chad: If he loses in that pot, he will drop off the tournament.

LON MCEACHERN: He doesn't do that. Chris Moneymaker winds up a lot of money to Sam Farha.

Norman Chad: Given the situation, you can see that it is the turn of the century, but this is a century bluff. Practice of Chris Money Maker]

Chris Moneymaker: I don't know where it came from or why, but I became a beast like a really good poker.

MATT MARANZ: We prefer that the story is beautiful, organized, and almost inevitable.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Maranz: History doesn't work so well.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

MATT MARAINS: It's cluttered, clumsy, and one million must occur in exactly the same order.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Matt Maranz: And if a little thing doesn't work, the history will change.

[2003 World Poker Series

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Money Maker looked down on the green felt under the light and was watching Sam Farha. But his life as an anonymous accountant is over.

Chris Moneymaker: I was going to play poker tournaments here, played poker tournaments, and returned to work. There is no major change.

Keith Romer: Chris was becoming a character of a completely different story. A story that the world will know.

["David letterman at midnight

David Letterman: There is a person called Chris Money Maker on the program. Do you know who this pole is?

Paul Shafer: I've heard a little about him.

David Letterman: This man is 27 years old and is qualified. ]

KEITH ROMER: Chris Money Maker intends to continue letterman and Jimmy Kimmel.

[Midnight program with David Leteman,

David Letterman: There is a person called Chris Money Maker on the program. Do you know who this pole is?

David letterman: No, he hasn't changed his name. I'm always Chris Money Maker.

Paul Shaffer.]

KEITH ROMER: He will sign six or seven contracts as a representative of Poker Stars and Canadian Whiskey Club.

Cris Moneymaker: ... Everyone comes to consult how to start poker. ]

KEITH ROMER: The TV network was broadcast for thousands of hours of poker programs in Matt Maranz's success.

[Celebrity poker

KEVIN POLLAK: Good evening, and to the showdown celebrity poker. ]

Keith Romer: Internet poker will be a $ 1 billion business. And the main event of the World Poker Series will have 2, 000, 5, 000 and 8, 000 participants.

But it hasn't happened yet.

[2003 World Series of Poker

[2003 World Series of Poker

Chris Money Maker looked down on the green felt under the light and was watching Sam Farha. But his life as an anonymous accountant is over.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

LON MCEACHERN: This may be the last card of 2003 World Series of Poker.

File knot

Fan: I did it. You did it!

LON MCEACHERN: At full house, Chris Moneymaker eliminates Sam Farha and 27 years old ...].

Matt Maranz: He can only feel euphoria. He runs around, jumps into the crowd, and has a good time with his father.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

NOLAN DALLA: You can see the face of the money maker, but it seems incredible after 3 or 4 minutes.

Chris Money Maker: I have to pinch myself. An amazing success! It's impossible.

NOLAN DALLA: I still don't really feel it.

[2003 World Series of Poker,

[2003 World Series of Poker

KEITH ROMER: Other ... what do you start?

KEITH ROMER: Other ... What do you start?

All: The spark of the poker explosion

Credits

Jody Abil Gun (moderator, senior producer, series editor

Erin Layden ESPN Films Senior Producer and Series Editor

Keith Roman journalist and producer

David Kestenbaum, editor

Mitra Coboli (Voice Mixing)

Taylor Barfield (Production Assistant)

30 for 30 podcast

Ryan Nantel (producer)

Andrew Mambo (producer)

Julia Laurie Henderson (producer)

Vin Danton (Associate Producer

ESPN movie

Connor Shell (Executive Producer)

Libbie Geist (Executive Producer)

Rob King, Executive Producer

Adam Noi House, Development Director

Jenna Anthony, Development Division Associate Director

Diadre Fenton, producer

Tom Picard, Production Management Director

Catherine Sanky, Production Manager

Maria Delgado, Production Manager

Jennifer Soap, Production Manager

Louise Ardianas, Material Licensing Manager

Alex Boen, Production Development

Paul Williard, Associate Producer

Eve Wolf, Production Assistant

Sean Mercers (Production Assistant)

ESPN sound

Traug Keller, senior vise president

Tom Rix (Vice President of Audio Digital Strategy)

Megan Judge, Director Marketing in charge of voice distribution & amplifier

Pete Genecini, Audio Production Senior Director

Ryan Granar, Digital Audio Operations Director

Ryan Harley ESPN New York Program Director

RJ Santilo (ESPN New York, Associates Producer

Raymond Dinihan ESPN New York producer

Rodney Berisele (ESPN New York Chief Engineer

Devon Mugwan Marketing Senior Director

Elizabeth Fiaman, Event Marketing Senior Director

Other production support

Brad Ross, Annie Serus, Kate Makolif, Roger Jackson, Tony Chow, Linda Trans Tutovan, Justin Macro, Mitchell Clements, Laura Hernandez.

Special appreciation

Eric Shidentel, Andrew Feldman, Dan Goldman, Carroll Anderson, Eric Drash, 441 Productions

30 for 30 Theme Podcast Song Exploder Podcast, Hrishikesh Hirway.